Book sale

I sneaked out today and skipped my afternoon dose of medication to avoid the drowsiness.

Cos’ I really wanted to go to the Times warehouse book sales.

Can’t say it was fantastic. Can’t find any of the best sellers nor travel literature that I wanted. No Alice Steinbach or any Bill Bryson in sight. But, hey! It is a whole hall full of books on sales. And I certainty wasn’t about to come back empty-handed. After combing the hall diligently, I ended up with 13 books. This shall be my hoard of fiction for this year. Between CFA materials and these new buys, I have plenty of reading to keep me occupied:)

I got started on Atonement by Ian McEwan cos I missed the movie. Wanted to know what the story is all about.

Ok, I think Atonement is a boring read.

Off list

I am not going to read any more book by Haruki Murakami. Too twisted for me to appreciate. Not even going to finish the one I have on hand. Am just going to throw it out. Literally. Trashed.

My light-readings this year

Just want to jot down some random books that I read for fun this year. Just so I can remember. These exclude all the business related readings and books I have blogged about previously. No Undercover economist or anything requiring any serious thinking. 

1. Without Reservations, The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach.

I re-read this when I was in Europe. It is a good travel companion. Provides food for thoughts too. I made it a point to visit some of the places mentioned in the book too. Although, most of them are already on my list. This book helps heightened my anticipation of each visit.

2. No Fixed Address by Jackie Hartnell.

I find it to be boring and rather a let down.

3. 44th Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith.

A casual tolerable read when you are in the mood to lose yourself in fiction for a few hours.

4. A land of two halves by Joe Bennett.

A fun read that amused me on a large part of my trip. Somehow, he reminds me of Bill Bryson (one of my favourite authors). Same sadistic style of humour.

5. Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult.

This is the first time I am reading something by Jodi Picoult. A good read. I enjoyed it enough to be inspired to pick up more of her books in future.

6. Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson.

Another disappointment.

7. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

This is surprising quite a diverting good read. I like the blending of the characters.

8. The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

I really like this one. It is both interesting and inspiring. Have alot of common sense inside. The Washington Post described it as “somewhat akin to having a worthwhile conversation with a revered older relative; he doesn’t always tell you what you want to hear, but you appreciate it just the same.” Can’t remember why I picked it up. Probably a random buy at Borders.

God explained in a taxi ride by Paul Arden

This book is definitely a rip off. You can finish reading it within 10 mins.

I like some of his views on religious since they hold with mine.

I think the core of all proper religions teach us the right things. Basic morals standard. They reinforce the basic decency that we are already equipped. It is people who complicate things by casting judgements, indoctrinating their cultural beliefs, infusing their own interpretations while imposing them on others and carrying it further to institute these divisions into different religious clusters. 

As to the existence of God, all of us believe what we want to believe and adhere to our own personal beliefs.

To me, believing in God equates, or rather, translates into having a conscience in everything that we do. For me, faith is believing that there is goodness and justice in this world cos all of us carry a conscience within ourselves.

It doesn’t translate into going to church/mosque, preaching to everyone I know or reading the bible/kolan conscientiously so that I may, one day transcend into heaven for eternity. Neither does it translates into temples going nor performing rituals.

Yet, I am not against religions cos I believe humans do need spirtual support. And if they can get it through religious institutions. Then, why not? I do admit to the occasional moments of needing spirtual support.  

What I dislike is the hordes of people who are of the one tracked mind that they are completely right in their religious beliefs and thus the rest of the world are all misguided souls. And therefore have no qualms about imposing their beliefs on others. After all, which of us will know better than the other what truly exists and what does not? None of us really know. After all, what we are all clinging on to is our individuals’ beliefs.

I also dislike the hordes of people who uses religions as a mask their self interests. To me, that is the height of hypocrisy.

Quotes I like from the book.

“The History of War

Different people, different terrain, different weather, different food, different customs, different houses, different religions.

As man travelled more, he told other of his religions, and others told him about theirs.

That’s where the problems started.

More blood has been shed over religion than any other issue.

Our refusal to understand the beliefs of others is why we continue to have religious wars to this day.“

“You can believe in God without being religious.

Believing in God does not make you a religious person.

It makes you a spiritual person.

A religious person is quite different.

A religious person is someone who believes in a Church, and (religiously) performs the rites and ceremonies laid down by their Church.

You can believe in God without being part of a church.“

Treasure Hunt

Have you ever need to retrieve something from your storeroom only to find that the very item you need, seem to have been devoured by messiness of the room? After rummaging for a long time, you suddenly realised that you have unwittingly emptied the storeroom cos the very item you are seeking just so happens to be sitting right at the bottom, in the most inner corner of the store.

But, I am not complaining. Cos, along the way, I found my treasured copy of my favourite book! My favourite literature book “To kill a Mockingbird”. And a couple of other books I like to read again.

After so long (16 years), this is still my favourite passage. I still think this is one of the most beautiful passages every written. I am still moved every time I read it. Here it goes:

“Daylight…..in my mind, the night faded. It was daytime and the neighbourhood was busy. Miss Stephanie Crawford crossed the street to tell the latest to Miss Rachel. Miss Maudie bent over her azaleas. It was summertime, and two children scampered down the sidewalk towards a man approaching in the distance. The man waved, and the children raced each other to him.

It was still summertime, and the children came closer. A boy trudged down the sidewalk dragging a fishing-pole behind him. A man stood waiting with his hands on his hips. Summertime, and his children played in the front yard with their friend, enacting a strange little drama of their own invention.

It was fall, and his children fought on the sidewalk in front of Mrs Dubose’s. The boy helped his sister to her feet, and they made their way home. Fall, and his children trotted to and fro around the corner, the day’s woes and triumphs on their faces. They stopped at an oak tree, delighted, puzzled, apprehensive.

Winter, and his children shivered at the front gate, silhouetted against a blazing house. Winter, and a man walked into the street, dropped his glasses, and shot a dog.

 Summer, and he watched his children’s heart break. Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him.

Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.”

I grew up with this book and have read it countless times. At 15, when I first started reading it, it was homework to me. Reading it was studying. By the time, I have to answer exam questions on it, I was familiar with all the characters and the themes running through the book. Somehow, along the years, I was drawn time and again to pick up the book and re-read it. Everytime, I read it, I seem acquired additional perspectives that was absent before. These additional perspectives came from my experiences when growing up. This book accompanied right into adulthood and have helped shaped my values and beliefs in many little ways. Today, it is still teaching me about the way of life. Patiently. Repeating itself as many times as I care to read.

Another read

Just finished reading this book. This was a random buy at Borders during one of their 3 books for the price of 2 offers.

I was mainly drawn as the characters narrated are Bengalis who relocated from India to States. I remembered thinking of MH when reading the plot. She is a Bengali who relocated here after marriage too. Throughout our friendship, she has shared with me bits and pieces of her her life back home, their wedding, their visits back home.

I like the book for its colourful descriptions of a heritage and culture. I like the narration of the struggles of its characters in trying their hardest to maintain/distance themselves from a life that had shaped them for most of their lives. The older generation seeks to maintain the ties to a world that is familiar to them. The younger generation seeks to shake it off to be able to pursue their own self identities. It is only at a later stage of life that they can comprehend their parents’ perspectives. Something that is so typical in most relationships with parents everywhere. The theme of family and generation gaps is something I can relate to. 

This book also draws out two of our greatest fears. The fear of losing someone, coupled with regret. Also, the fear of being alone without our loved ones. I think the fear of alone is inherent in all of us, whether we want to admit it or not. Midway through the book, I am reminded that no matter what, family is always my top most priority.   

The Kite Runner

Finally finished this book at Borders today. Was sniffing towards the end of the book. It truly deserves all the fanfare surrounding it.

There are reviews and discussion questions at this website. www.bloomsbury.com/khaledhosseini

Can’t wait to read “A thousand splendid suns” and his other books.

And yes, the hardest person to forgive is often ourselves.

An interesting read

Am reading this book. A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. It is a rather good read so far. Some extracts below.

“It is a town that exists in the world based on the ideas of it not existing in the world…..The idea is that if we can successfully deny ourselves the pleasures of this world, we’ll be first in line to enjoy the pleasures of the next world, forever.”

“I once had a conversation with my typing teacher about eternal life. He wanted me to define specifically what is was about the world that I wanted to experience……..I ended up saying stupid stuff like I just want to be myself. I just want to do things without wondering if they are a sin or not. I want to be free. I want to know what it is like to be forgiven by another human being and not have to wait around all my life anxiously wondering if I am an okay person or not and having to die to find out. I wanted to experience goodness and humanity outside of any religious framework………….I told him that if I heard one more person say it wasn’t up to him or her to judge, it was up to God, while, at the same time, they were judging their freaking heads off every minute of every day,……….”

How often do we come across people in real life who make us feel that they cannot see beyond their religious beliefs and prejudices to truly appreciate the people and things around them? How often do we come across people who uses their twisted interpretations of God and the bible to judge others? And then use God’s love and forgiveness as a convenient excuses for their own bad behavior? These same people that preach about love and forgiveness, pouting verse of “Love thy neighbours” or “God forgives all”, etc, are often some of the most closed minded and judgemental people around.